Abstract: A message transfer apparatus is provided which comprises: an acceptance unit that accepts a client ID identifying one of a plurality of clients, a transmitted message from the client to be transmitted to a terminal, and a terminal ID identifying the terminal, the plurality of clients each belonging to one of groups each identified by a group ID; a database in which a correspondence among the group ID, the client ID, a sender ID, and the terminal ID is registered and a plurality of the sender IDs are associated with one of a plurality of the group IDs; a database control unit that updates and searches the database; a transmission unit that transmits, to the terminal identified by the terminal ID, the transmitted message to which is attached one of the plurality of sender IDs in the database associated with the group ID corresponding to the client ID; a reception unit that receives a reply message from the terminal having received the transmitted message, the reply message being a message in which the sender ID

Abstract: The disclosed technique provides a message communication method comprising: receiving, from a client providing a message delivery service to a user of the client, an address of the user and a message to be transmitted to the address, the address being a phone number of the user or an address equivalent to the phone number; searching a database by using the address and outputting a first search result; associating the address with an opt-in status and storing the address in the database in a case where the first search result indicates that there was no hit for the address; controlling transmission of the message in such a manner as to inhibit the transmission of the message to the address in a case where the first search result indicates that the address has an opt-out status, and to transmit the message to the address in a case where the first search result indicates that the address has an opt-in status or that there was no hit for the address.